


i'll never let you down

by humanluke



Series: 5sos prompts [22]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Rain, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29449779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanluke/pseuds/humanluke
Summary: calum shows up at michael's doorstep.
Relationships: Michael Clifford & Calum Hood
Series: 5sos prompts [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019475
Kudos: 1





	i'll never let you down

Michael is surprised when he hears a knock at his door. He’s sitting on his couch, in the middle of playing FIFA on the tv when he hears it. It’s pouring outside, so he’s not entirely sure what someone could be doing here at this time of night. But he puts his controller to the side, prying himself off of the couch and crossing over to the door. He swings the door open, and is met with the sight of Calum on his doorstep. He’s damp from the rain, and his chest is heaving a little bit, almost like he’s ran there. Michael just stares at him for a moment, unsure of what to do or say as Calum looks up at him.

“Can I come in?” he asks softly. He sounds upset, like something’s weighing down on him, and he’s antsy as he shifts between his feet. Michael nods a little bit, opening the door a little bit wider.

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” he says, stepping aside to let him in. Calum steps inside, wet shoes squeaking against the tile as he steps in. He shivers a little bit as he comes in, and Michael shuts the door behind him. They stand there for a moment before Michael starts in the other direction. “Let me go get you a towel or something --” Calum grabs at his sleeve as he turns to go, and Michael’s eyebrows knit themselves together a little as he spins back around to face him.

“Please don’t leave me alone,” he says softly, and his chocolate brown eyes slide back up to meet Michael’s greens, and he looks a little scared and sad. Michael’s not sure what’s happened, but it’s been weeks since he’s heard from him, but he wasn’t going to start asking questions now of all times. Things had never been about questions between them -- there was just an unspoken agreement that they would just be there for each other.

“Okay,” Michael says, and his voice is soft and sure as he takes Calum’s hand into his own. “Do you want to come to the bedroom and we can sit? I can get you something dry to change into? Start some tea?” Calum takes a moment before he just nods in agreement, and Michael offers him a little smile. He tugs on his hand gently, and Calum stops for long enough to toe off his damp sneakers before Michael pulls him down the hall into the bedroom.

Things are quiet still between them as Michael grabs him a change of clothes from his dresser once they’re in his room, Calum looking lost and a little pathetic in his damp hoodie and jeans. He sets them on the bed, pulling an old towel he’d shoved to the back of his dresser to towel himself off with.

“There you go,” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed. He looks at Calum with questioning eyes, but doesn’t say anything, just waits. Calum takes a moment before he peels off his wet clothes, putting on the t-shirt and sweatpants that Michael’s supplied him with. He hesitates for a moment before he sits down on the opposite side of the bed, leaving a space between them as he towels off his damp hair.

“Thank you,” he says softly, turning to look at Michael. His words are quiet, and he doesn’t seem to want to talk anymore past that. “If you wanted to go make some tea, that… that could be nice.” He bites his bottom lip a little bit, looking at him with a little more eagerness in his eyes this time. Michael just nods a little bit.

“Sure thing. I can make some tea, and we can have a snack, and maybe we can just sit? Talk, if you want?” He mentions it, and Calum’s face goes stone cold after a moment, so he shoves the idea to the back of his brain. “Or not. We can talk about something stupid. Like how many times I’ve lost at FIFA today.” That bring a little bit of a smile back onto Calum’s face, and Michael is glad he can shed a little sunlight in his life in the moment.

“That would be nice,” he says with a little bit of a smile. Michael stands up and offers him his hand, looking him in the eyes gently.

“C’mon, I won’t leave you alone again.” he says gingerly. Calum looks between him and his hand before taking it.

Michael would never leave Calum alone again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They’re standing in the kitchen and Michael is putting the kettle on for some tea. It’s been a while since he’s done this himself, but he’d offered it to Calum, and had wanted to give him something that would warm him to his bones after being out in the cold rain for so long.

“What kind of tea do you wanna have?” he offers him. “I’ve got, uh….” he leans up, rifling through the cabinet with his tea in it. “I’ve got some chamomile or sleepytime if you wanna relax, or if you don’t, I have english breakfast, earl grey… and i think I might have some chai somewhere…”

“Whatever you want is okay,” he says. His voice is still soft, and he still looks antsy, as if he’s a misstep away from a panic attack. “I’m fine with anything, really, just… as long as it’s warm.” Michael nods a little bit, and pulls down the box of english breakfast. He knows that kind always makes him feel the best, so he can only hope that it would make him feel good too.

“While it heats up, do you want something to eat?” he says. “I make a mean cucumber sandwich and you know it.” That makes Calum smile a little bit, and he grins back in response as he turns to the fridge to pull out the mayonnaise and the half of a cucumber he had in the fridge from making his own earlier.

“I can make it myself,” Calum says softly as Michael sets the two pieces of bread onto the plate. “I would like to make it myself, actually.” Michael raises an eyebrow at him, setting the cutting board down with the prep knife.

“I mean, if you really want to, be my guest,” he says, taking a step back. He lets Calum up to bat with the cucumber, turning and busying himself with readying them some mugs for their tea. He hears Calum swear after a moment, looking over to see him sucking his thumb into his mouth. “Did you cut yourself? Here, let me help you.” He crosses back over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Can I see?”

Calum looks over at him, tears pricking the corners of his eyes, as if this is the one thing that’s going to send him overboard that day. He’s breathing heavily through his nose, and Michael just soothes a hand over his spine as he offers him a soft look.

“Hey, it’s going to be fine, don’t worry about it,” he says. “Can I just see it so I know if I have to get you a bandaid? Please?” Calum swallows, and Michael follows the track before looking at him with slightly stern green eyes. Calum pulls the finger from his mouth, and the cut isn’t deep, mostly superficial as the blood pools at the tip a little bit.

“I can’t even make myself a fucking sandwich,” Calum huffs, and the tears are coming now, and all Michael can do is wrap his arms around him and pull him in. Calum breaks at that point, burying his face in the crook of Michael’s neck as he lets it all out. Michael didn’t know how long it would take Calum to erupt, or what would tip him over, but the look on his face when he’d come to his door was so tentative that he knew it was going to happen one way or another.

“Hey, the sandwich is fine, you’ll still be able to have it,” he says gently, fingers running up and down his spine slowly. “You’re okay, you’re fine, you’re safe here. I’ve got you, okay? I’ve always got you.” Calum pulls his face free from Michael’s neck, eyes red and tears still slowly flowing as he looks at him.

“Promise?” he asks softly, almost scared to know the answer. Michael just nods, squeezing Calum a little tighter.

“I promise,” he parrots. “Now let’s go get a bandaid on that finger. I think the Star Wars band aids are calling your name.”

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on [tumblr](http://cakelftv.tumblr.com)!


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